Median rent is 4% lower in Madison ($1,413/mo vs $1,465/mo). Buying is cheaper in Jacksonville, where the median home runs $293,700 versus $372,900. Households earn more in Madison ($78,050 vs $69,872 a year).
City A
Jacksonville, FL
City B
Madison, WI
How much would you need to earn in Madison, WI to maintain your standard of living from Jacksonville, FL?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Jacksonville
Florida
Madison
Wisconsin
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $1,465/mo in Jacksonville and $1,413/mo in Madison. Home buyers face a steeper market in Madison: the median home is $372,900 versus $293,700 in Jacksonville — 21% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Jacksonville
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Madison
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Madison has cleaner air on average: 27.0 AQI (Good) compared to 51.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Madison if you prioritize higher median household income ($78,050/yr).
Pick Madison if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 27.0).
Is Jacksonville cheaper than Madison?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Jacksonville vs Madison?
Median rent is $1,465/mo in Jacksonville, FL and $1,413/mo in Madison, WI. Madison, WI has the lower rent by about 4%.
Which has higher salaries — Jacksonville or Madison?
Median household income is $69,872 in Jacksonville, FL and $78,050 in Madison, WI. Madison, WI has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Madison, WI has better air quality on average: 27.0 AQI versus 51.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Jacksonville or Madison?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Madison to match my Jacksonville income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
